Return to Us the Sun
by Star-Stallion
Summary: Sauron found a way to reach the future before his downfall. He has now taken over our own Earth in the year 3003. There is no hope... unless Gandalf can guide the Fellowship across the Mists of Time, where they must defeat the Dark Lord once more...
1. Prologue

**I got really bored, so I decided to play around with a small idea that's been floating around in my head for a few days... I hope you enjoy it!**

.: Prologue :.

It was the year 3003 of the 31st century. Through the dark dank streets of New London flew the hover-cars, and above the heads of the pedestrians lay the rusting remains of the Solar-Train. It had been a great feat of modern technology. No doubt it would still be running now... only there was no Sun anymore.

Darkness had crept into the lands. No one had believed it could happen...

A terrible Eye had slowly risen into power. With it, it brought great armies of evil black fighting machines, twisted men they appeared to be, yet they were larger, fiercer. They were called Uruk-Hai. They had overtaken London at first, slowly increasing in power until they finally ruled the world. No one could stop them, not even the world's super power, America. A great war had taken place, with the forces of Earth uniting against The Enemy. But bombs and shells and guns were not enough. The Army of the Red Eye took the last free state of Los Angeles in 2995. People had lived in darkness ever since.

Fiendish Nazgúl stalked the air, patrolling. Anyone who did anything wrong would be arrested, and brought before the Ruler of All; Sauron. If you were arrested, you never came back. You would be plucked from the streets and taken, never again to see your family, or your friends. No one knew what happened once you were found guilty of your crime, whatever it may be, but many said that they would rather die than be dragged to The Prison.

The Prison was a colossal black building, above which the Great Eye resided. It was surrounded by guards, and all manner of other beasts, like dogs, Uruk-Hai, Orcs, and Cave Trolls. It was a fearsome sight.

People were waiting, waiting for someone, _anyone_ to save them. Anyone to release them from the dark tyranny under which they were forced to live; anyone who could bring back the Sun.

What the people of Earth did not know, was that there _were people who could save them. Seven people in fact._

It was just that they lived thousands of years before.

Not that that would be a problem for much longer... 

~*~*~*~

**Just a prologue. Tell me what you think of the idea. I'll be explaining just _how_ Sauron got to our world soon. R&R, and I'll post the next chapter in a couple of days. ^_^ Thanks for reading!!!**

**_~*~ Star-Stallion ~*~_**       


	2. And So It Begins

**Well, I'm glad to see this fic was welcomed with open arms, LOL! ^_^ I was a bit nervous about bringing the future into it... however I'm enjoying this coz I'm getting to open up the sci-fi area of my imagination; I adore programmes like Quantum Leap and Red dwarf, and I love Back to the Future. That film has probably influenced most of the ideas about 3003 in this fic... anyway, reviewer replies!!!**

**BURN THE R.U.M;**** Thanks!**

**Anmras;**** Yeah, I'm sure you will! I'm looking forward to bringing them to3003; just wait till you see them!!!**

**Kawaii Elf Girl;**** Hmmm... I'm afraid I don't know all that much about Phila, I live in ****London****! I only really know about **New York******, **Texas******, **Las Vegas******, L.A, ****Florida****, **Springfield****** (Lol!) and ****Washington**** **DC******... and that's only from movies!!! =S If you tell me about Phila I'd be happy to include it! Thanks for the review!**

**Azaelia2;**** Oh thank you! ^_^ It's really uplifting when somebody tells you your idea is fresh and original!!! Thanks a bunch for the review!!! ^_~**

**kurleyhawk2;**** Thanks! ^_^**

**ElizabethBlack4;**** Amy!!! Thanks mate!!! Yeah, just think Back to the Future and you've pretty much got it... except a much darker version! ^_~**

**IrishQT;**** Great Star-Stallion... *_* I've gone all starry-eyed!!! Where did you get that?! LOL! Well _of course_ Legolas & Aragorn are in this!!! You think I'm gonna leave out my two fave characters?! And the Hobbits will be in it too... ^_~**

**On with the story then!!!**

.: Chapter One :.

Gandalf opened his eyes and sighed. The milky whiteness disappeared from his irises as they gradually faded back into focus. He had been looking into the future.

Word had spread that something was wrong. Who could have known that the defeat of Sauron spelt doom for their descendents? No wonder the Dark Lord was called The Deceiver... he had blinded the truth from all their eyes. The white-haired wizard frowned. It had been barely a year since the War of the Ring in their own time; the Fellowship was just beginning to settle back into their old- and new- lives. 

Frodo, the heroic Ringbearer, had been living in relative happiness back in Bag End, sharing his quaint, cosy Hobbit hole with Sam and Rosie Gamgee. The pair had married and were blissfully happy together, now expecting their first child in a matter of months. Frodo's rather memorable (for mostly _wrong reasons) cousins, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took, were also getting back to their old ways. Although the War had changed them, made them more mature, they still retained that wonderful Hobbit charm that stopped them losing that childish streak... and although no one had told them, for fear of a great influx of pranks and mischievousness, most that knew them wouldn't want the pair any different._

It was not only the four Hobbits who were re-establishing a peaceful life. Aragorn had probably undergone the biggest change of them all. The former Ranger was now King of Gondor. A simpler, or stupider, man would have probably come unstuck at the daunting challenges of running a kingdom, but somehow Aragorn, now known to his people as Elessar, had taken it all in his stride, and everyone who knew him beforehand was extremely proud of him, especially Elrond, the King's foster father. He had always had high hopes for Estel, the Hope of Men.

Then Gandalf remembered something that made him smile, and nearly even laugh aloud. Two members of the Fellowship had rather strayed from the beaten path when it came to getting back to normal. Legolas and Gimli had been spending most of their time travelling around, seeing new sights. In fact, Aragorn had the bright idea of the two telling him new places they'd seen, and then went out and tried to establish links between them and Minas Tirith. The White City now had strong allies in all parts of Middle-Earth. Though they still filled their duties as Lords, titles given to them courtesy of Gondor's new King, they still found time to enjoy life; something Gandalf was glad to see. The relationship between the Elf and Dwarf was more than rocky at first, but as time had went on they had grown closer until now they were the best of friends.

Gandalf slapped himself mentally. Now all he had to do was to somehow manage to get all of the Fellowship in one place and tell them about their new mission. But how would he say about Sauron's appearance on Earth?

He had gradually pieced together the pieces of the puzzle...

Sauron, in forging the One Ring, had somehow foreseen his downfall at the hands of the Fellowship. Looking forward in Time, he discovered an Age where there was barely any hope left... a time where there were no heroes. As he made the Ring, poured into it a small dark spell that would transport him and any that remained of his evil army to this time; the year 3003.

The Dark Lord had not counted on Gandalf's powers though, and now the wizard had discovered a way to get to the future through a spell. As the travellers began their journey through time, the caster of the spell had to stay and ensure everything went alright. It was easy to get lost navigating them Mists of Time, even in a group of seven.

He was nudged from his thoughts as his cart slowed to a halt outside of a bright green rounded door, with a doorknob in the exact centre...

~*~*~*~

"I swear to Aulë, if you don't slow this demented beast _this instant_ I will ensure that our Lady Arwen will be spoon feeding you for a month!!!" cried Gimli as he clung onto Legolas' waist. The Elf merely laughed lightly as he spurred Arod on faster.

"Oh stop complaining!" he smiled, turning slightly to speak to his friend. "You want to get of, quote, "this beast"? Well the faster we go, the quicker we'll arrive!"

Gimli shuffled up as he began to bounce of the back end of the horse for the twentieth time. "Aye laddie, but you'd better pray I don't stab my axe into this thing to get a grip!"

Arod whinnied, annoyed, as his master laughed again.

"I don't think he appreciated that remark my friend..."

~*~*~*~

**Well, I hope you liked that! I rather enjoyed writing it, so please R&R! ^_~**

**_~*~ Star-Stallion ~*~_**          


	3. The Gothal

**Well, I never expected this story to be popular!!! ^_^ Time for my traditional reviewer replies...**

**Kawaii Elf Girl;**** Wow, what a lovely long review! ^_^ Yup, I'm English! And I have the typical English sense of humour as well! ^_^ I like the sound of most of Philadelphia, I knew it was a city, but that was about it... in fact (I dunno if you've got it over there) but here in the UK we have a type of spreadable cheese called Philadelphia... not that it's really related... ^_^ It's v. nice too! Thanks for the review!**

**Elven Kitten;**** Thanks for the review! Doesn't matter how long they are, I just love them! ^_^**

**Mellaithwen-Elven Maiden;**** Hi Amy! ^_^ The Back to the Future series is my fave series of films after LOTR and Lethal Weapon... you ever seen them? Yeah, that's Quantum Leap... Red Dwarf = Classic British Comedy!!! ^_^ It's just great!!! The other fics are coming along great thank you! Thanks for the review!**

**BURN THE R.U.M;**** I adore Red Dwarf!!! It's hilarious! Do they have a category for it here? Probably not... Gimli is one of my fave characters now, behind Legolas and Aragorn. He's funny! ^_^**

**Estel Elven Enchantress;**** You trying to hint at something there Jo?! ^_^ Yeah, I wanted to do it nice and subtly... you seem to be the only one that noticed! ^_^ Well done! Maybe it takes English POV to see it... who knows?**

**Spades;**** Hello there Spades! Nice to see you! ^_^ Ah, about Sauron adapting to the 31st Century... I have a few surprises up my sleeve, so don't worry! I just wanted to keep it a secret for a while, until the time comes to it...**

**Anmras;**** Thank you very much! I try to keep my stories simple enough for my readers to follow, so I'm glad it's working!**

**Irish QT;**** Oh stop! (No don't really!) You have no idea how much your reviews make me smile! I'm sittin here like a Cheshire Cat!!! ^_^ **

**KnowInsight;**** ^_^ Thanks!**

**So, without any further ado... the story...**

.: Chapter Two :.

Aragorn looked out on the great city of Minas Tirith with pride. The clouds rolled high above Middle-Earth in fluffy groups, the Sun slowly trekking across the sky, casting shadows in the streets below. People bustled about their busy lives, market keepers, bakers, farmers, women and children...  The King sighed, smiling. He had grown to love the city very much. 

As he cast his gaze towards the Pelennor Fields, he noticed a very small dark spot thundering towards the City, kicking up dust in a large cloud as it went. He frowned, shielding his grey blue eyes from the Sun with his hand.

Squinting, he was barely able to make out a few flashes of gold, and a white horse. A wide smile broke across his face. He turned to a guard who stood nearby.

"Send down a call to the main gates," he told the man. "Tell the guards to open them!"

~*~*~*~

Gandalf hobbled up to the door of the Hobbit hole, passing the red and yellow flowers that had been lovingly tended by expert hands.

"Samwise Gamgee," he thought, remembering the young Hobbit with fondness. Without him, the Quest probably would never have been fulfilled.

The smile upon his elderly features faded. No, the Quest had not been _fully completed. Sauron was still causing misery, even though it didn't affect them directly. They had to finish what they started..._

He rapped lightly on the door with the top of his white staff, and waited. He could hear a muffled commotion inside, and wondered what was going on. All of a sudden, the door flew open and there stood Peregrin Took, a gently smoking pipe in his mouth and a book in the other.

"Gandalf!" he cried, his eyes brightening immensely in a moment and a wide beam spreading across his face. Gandalf smiled back.

"Hello there Pippin," he said. "Fancy seeing you here at Bag End!"

Pippin's face fell slightly. "Yes, well..." he sighed. Gandalf wondered at this change when a small Hobbit with bouncing curls in her hair and rosy cheeks clamped itself onto Pippin's leg.

"Uncle Pippin, come on and read the story!" she pleaded sweetly, batting her eyelids so her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly's wings.

Gandalf chuckled heartily. "Ah! So this lovely little lady is our own Elanor, am I correct?" The girl looked up and saw the white Wizard, and shocked, hid behind Pippin, peering out and eyeing him suspiciously.

Pippin exhaled noisily. "What on Middle-earth were Sam and Rosie thinking?! If this is what it's going to be like, I'm banning Diamond from even _considering about children..."_

~*~*~*~

The thunder clapped ahead of time in 3003 AD. Tumbling shadowy clouds spread out like wildfire across the sky, with the rain pelting down in sheets. Things had gotten so bad out on the streets that no one ever went out anymore. 

The hover cars had been grounded by the speeding Vero-bots that zoomed about the sky. A Vero-bot was a powerful invention by one of Sauron's right hand beings, but that person shall come into this tale later. These swift machines would thunder after anyone trying to escape from Sauron's reign, to take down any flier who was not part of 'The Shade' with their bright red lasers; their own way of oppressing the peoples of Earth further. 

'The Shade' was the rather large group of Earthling followers that Sauron had built up through unfulfilled promises and propaganda. It may be said that they shouldn't have believed the Dark Lord, but times were so dark, they wanted to cling onto any hope, even if it was surrounded by evil.

Now the only lonely ones to walk on the practically deserted streets were the members of this sinister organization. 

A man ran across the road, pulling his long black coat around him further to try and conserve the little heat he had. The lashing rain plastered his dirty blonde hair to his forehead, the water sometimes running in a large fat drop down to the end of his slightly pointed nose. He ran faster and faster, his breath coming in gasps as he did... he had to get away...

Behind him, the Machine swooped out from the alley it had chased him down. Red infrared scanners shone out of spaces hammered out to serve as 'eyes'. They flickered around for a moment, before settling on the man's panting sweating form.

A loud whirring ensued, and it launched itself on clanking metal 'legs' towards the now screaming man. Even though he tried to claw himself out of its devastatingly strong grip of its 'hand', the effort was fruitless. The Machine picked him up and, boosting up jets concealed on the inside of its back, and with only a whoosh, it fired up like a rocket into the air, carrying the terrified man with it up into the sky...

The man would never return...

~*~*~*~

Gandalf was sat awkwardly on the little wooden chair. Pippin sat next to him, his hairy little feet hanging slightly off the ground. Frodo, now pouring tea for all from a small blue teapot, had welcomed the Wizard delightedly when he walked into the Hobbit hole, stepping over toys of Elanor's that were strewn about the floor. Sam, beaming, had shaken his hand warmly and was currently sitting opposite Gandalf, and Merry, who was also visiting, had found the time to put his pipe down and greet the Istari and now munched quite happily on shortbread biscuit. 

However, the occasion was far from happy. Gandalf had just told them of Sauron's destructive powers in the future, and now four heroic Hobbits stared at him in wide eyed disbelief.

"You mean Sauron has taken over the world?" asked Sam, his mind numb.

Gandalf nodded grimly. "Now it is up to you to save them."

Frodo shook his head. "Gandalf, wait. What can _we_ do against Him?! He has already found almost absolute power... we can't help the people of Earth."

Merry nodded, agreeing. "What can four Hobbits do against a whole entire army in the end?"

Gandalf smiled. "Ah, you see, that's the beauty of it. It will not just be you four."

Sam brightened slightly. "Oh good! Who else is coming?"

Gandalf looked at the Hobbit who cradled his little girl on his knee. "Who do you think?"

"Not Aragorn!" said Pippin suddenly. Gandalf nodded. Pippin was shocked. "B-but he can't!" he blurted out. "He has a kingdom to care for now!"

"When you leave," Gandalf told him. "Time will practically stop here. Compared to how fast you are going, one week in the future equals about a day here. You'll barely be gone any time at all if everything goes according to plan."

"And since when do things involving Sauron go 'according to plan'?" said Frodo. "When the Ring had to be destroyed, the Fellowship was supposed to stay together. And what happened?"

"We split," finished Merry. Gandalf looked a little annoyed. Merry swallowed hard. "Erm... I think, what Frodo _means_, Gandalf... I think... well..."

"Just because Aragorn is coming as well doesn't mean we'll succeed." said Sam.

"So you don't think that because he's also going to ask Legolas and Gimli to join us as well that you'll not be able to do this?"

"Gandalf, listen," said Pippin. He wanted the Wizard to see some sort of sense. "Even if all seven of us go, we'll be no match for the Army of the Red Eye!"

"I know that Peregrin," said Gandalf. "I'm not asking you to fight. I'm asking you to get this." He pulled out a bit of parchment and opened it out. On the slightly yellow surface was a detailed coloured drawing of what looked like a ball. It was mostly black, but inside it held a purple flame.

Pippin shuddered; it reminded him of the Palantír of Saruman... "What is that?"

Gandalf rolled up the parchment again. "It is the Gothal." he said simply. "The tool that Sauron now uses to control his minions. You must retrieve it and return it here so we can destroy it."

The Hobbits sat in silence for a moment, before it was broken by Pippin.

"Well, that doesn't sound too hard..."

~*~*~*~

**Please R&R! ^_^**    


	4. Riding to Rivendell

**Oops! Haven't updated this in a while!!! =S **

**Anarya****; Yup! ^_^ Thanks very much!**

**Razeer****; Thanks for the advice; I just wanted to pop that in there to sort some things out before they get there. You wanna write an LOTR fic? Ok then... what do you want to do it about? Or who? Of course I'll give you some help if you want it! ^_~**

**Estel Elven Enchantress****; Oh, your brother read it? Really?! -^.^- Oh _dear_... LOL!!! So why did he get embarrassed?! Or would I really be better off not knowing?!?! ^_^ LOL, only joking!!!**

**Elven Kitten****; So you think Pippin's jinxed it?! ^_^ Lol, poor little Took!!! **

**Irish QT****; Thanks! Yeah, Leggy dude, Gim and Arry will all go kick some butt, I promise!!! ^_^ LOL, where did you come up with those _names_?! Anti-Christ, what is that? I've heard of it before but I've never really understood it... =P Leggy angst? Ah, well, we're talking about me here, aren't we? Perhaps... maybe I'll give him a break this time... maybe not... I dunno! **

**BURN THE R.U.M****; ^_^ Pippin is my fave Hobbit! He's so sweet!!! Really?! I'll go have a look then... ^_~ Thanks!**

**Anmras****; =( Aaaw, I hate that bit in ROTK!!! I was like, "Pippin!!!" I've read the books and I knew it would happen, but still... PIPPIN!!!**

**KnowInsight****; Thanks!!!**

**Kawaii Elf Girl****; That would be cool, but I don't think I'm gonna do that... maybe you could write something like that? I dunno, it's an idea! *salutes* Yes ma'am; shorter paragraphs, coming up!**

**Fritz Will Get You****; OK!!! ^_^**

**Anyway...******

**You have now boarded Flight No. 3 in Chapters-ville... please keep your brains inside your heads at all times and do not approach the canon characters; poor things are dazed enough as it is...**

**     Merry: *wakes up in a daze* Ulgh... where are we?**

**     Aragorn: _She_ found us again.**

**     Merry: Who?**

**     Pippin: Who do you think?!**

**     Legolas: It's Star...**

**     Gimli: Of all the confounded nuisances... **

**     Sam: I thought she'd forgotten about us!!!**

**     Frodo: No... she _never_ forgets us...**

**     All: *shudder***

.: Chapter Three :.

The huge gates of the White City swung open loudly and the pair rode in. Arod's hooves thundered on the cobbles as they rode up the first level to the next.

"I've never understood why this city needs so many levels," grumbled Gimli.

"It's for protection," explained Legolas.

Another gate opened up and they galloped through. Some of the children who had been at play in the streets tried to run and keep up, but they obviously couldn't. Instead, they opted to stopping and simply waving, before running back to their mothers and crying "We saw an Elf Mama, a real live Elf!"

Above them the Tower of Ecthelion gleamed as its spires caught the midday Sun. 

"What do you think Aragorn wanted us for anyway?" asked Legolas. Gimli shrugged, before realising that could be a costly mistake as he slid a short way down Arod's back again.

"I don't know lad. He just said he wanted to see us for some important business. I think he's been talking to Gandalf..."

~*~*~*~

"We will meet them in Rivendell. I wrote a letter to Aragorn merely a few days ago detailing the plans and where to meet," said Gandalf.

The Hobbits sat astride their ponies and trotted alongside the White Wizard's cart.

"Why Rivendell Gandalf?" asked Frodo. "Is there no other place to go?"

"I have chosen Rivendell," explained Gandalf gravely. "Purely because it is one of the safest places to carry out this type of spell, and..." He trailed away slightly.

"And what?" asked Merry. He didn't like that trailing off. It was usually a herald of some sort of bad news. 

"Lord Elrond is there, and he is an expert healer."

Pippin had allowed himself to fall behind enough still to hear the conversation but admire the scenery as they travelled. When he heard this however, a look of concern passed his face.

"Is this going to be dangerous?!" he asked. Gandalf sighed.

"Not if you follow my advice."

"Then why will we need Lord Elrond to be there?" asked Sam. His worry was mounting too; it felt as though they had just come back from their last perilous Quest and now they were off on another.

"Just in case Samwise," said Gandalf. He turned away, avoiding the gaze of all four. "Just in case..."

~*~*~*~

They finally reached the Citadel at the top of the City, and dismounted.

"Here we are!" grinned Legolas. "And look; no bruises!" he remarked, looking pointedly at Gimli. "And you were worried you'd fall off..."

Gimli grumbled, annoyed. "I was _not_ worried at all!" he retaliated. The laughing Elf wasn't listening to him though.

"When you are _quite_ finished mocking each other..." said a voice. The two turned to see Aragorn standing at the doorway at the top of the steps. He smiled. "I actually did call you here for a purpose, not a holiday!" He walked down the stairs towards his two old friends.

Legolas bowed low sarcastically. "My _humblest_ apologies Aragorn," he laughed. He looked up just in time to avoid a playful punch from the King.

"You never change..." groaned Aragorn, rolling his eyes.

"I thought this was _important business_ we were supposed to be discussing?" said Gimli. "Though with you two, fooling around seems to be as serious as you get..."

~*~*~*~

An hour later, Aragorn had finished telling the Elf and Dwarf of all the events that Gandalf had seen in the future and the Istar's plans.

Gimli heaved a sigh. "Well... that _is_ a turn up."

"I know," replied Aragorn. "I thought the same when I read Gandalf's letter. The point is, we have to get to Rivendell right away."

Legolas sat up in his chair where he had slumped for the last hour or so. "Well what are we sitting here waiting for? Let's go..."

~*~*~*~

**Please R&R! You now it makes me _happy_... that and capturing the Fellowship.**

**     Aragorn: You don't say!**

**     Others: *scowl* Yeah...**

**^_^' Oh come on guys...**

**     Fellowship: -_-**

**Rotten bunch of... *realises reviewers are still reading* Oops! ^_^' Like I said, R&R!!! ... phew...**


	5. Across the Mists of Time

**Sorry for not updating – I've been VERY lazy about updating for a while but now I'm turning over a new leaf!!! )**

**Anyway, back to this story...**

**Estel****; 1984? I've read a bit of it but there was a lot of it I didn't understand. Have Legolas and Aragorn been giving you my story plans?! You'll see why when they get to Earth...**

**Irish Anor****; LOL! Sorry, it's just that I've barely got the ball rolling on this story and you're already demanding Legolas Angst!!! Well, depending on the number of requests, I'll think about it. I _was_ going to give the Elf a break in this story, but if the readers want it, the readers get it; that's my motto... yeah, I know Jesus Christ! (You _are_ still going to explain the Anti-Christ to me, aren't you?! PLEASE?! I still don't get it!) **

**Anarya****; Ah, five worded reply here: I Was In A Rush... ) Lol! Sacrificing your grades for this?! Ooh, naughty... ;-)**

**KnowInsight****; Another person who thinks it's too short... sorry!!! S**

**BURN THE R.U.M****; Lol! Yup, those three are still the same... but will they still be the same when they get back? That is, of course, assuming that they _will_ get back... oops! Giving a little too much away there, aren't I?! )**

**Coolio02****; Thanks!!! D This plot actually comes from a dream I had one night about a year ago. I still remember it, fresh as a daisy!!! I admit though, it nearly turned into a nightmare at one point, but that's all I'll say... all I kept thinking was "poor guys"... )**

**Yuki Hibiki****; Thanks!!! I really like your screen name btw...**

**Kitsune****; Ok! )**

**Stoneage Woman****; Lol, thanks! D I love just seeing what the sarcastic and humorous part of my mind can come up with; some of my enemies have figured out never to be on the receiving end of my tongue as it's very sharp; fortunately for them I usually put my... 'talent', into doing various stand up routines... ) Lol!**

**Kawaii Elf Girl****; Legolas not being Elvish?! ... ... ) COOL!!!**

**LEGOLAS: Hey!!!**

**Oh come on Leggy, it's only a bit of fun!**

**LEGOLAS: Not for me it's not... --'**

**Fritz Will Get You****; Rotten bunch of... grapes? Lol!!! Sorry; I haven't updated this for so long that I've forgotten exactly WHAT the Fellowship were a rotten bunch of!!! Lol!**

**Mellaithwen****; LOL! I wondered where you were... )**

**FlyingHampsterOfDoom****; Lol, sorry! It's a long running joke here in ****Britain****... thanks!!! -blushes- S You have no idea how good that makes me feel! ;-) I'm glad you think it's original, so here's an update for you...**

**Now that's over and done with... numero cuatro... that means number 4 btw... I've decided to write a nice long chapter because you've all waited so... ahem _patiently_... lol!**

.: Chapter Four :.

Ten days passed on the Hobbit's journey without major event, unless it was Pippin's discovery of an apple orchard that he not come across before. Of course, this was _Pippin's_ idea of a major event, not ours...

The weather was pleasant; the birds were singing in the trees and the summer breeze cooled the travellers immensely.

It was as they reached the borders of Rivendell that Merry asked a strange question.

"What if something happens to one of us?"

The others looked at him.

"What do you mean dear boy?" asked Gandalf, removing his gently smouldering pipe from his mouth.

"We've all encountered something that was one the Dark Lord's side," explained the young Brandybuck, remembering with a shudder the Witch King. "Some of us worse than others. My point is; if we're away in the future, and you and Lord Elrond are _here_, what happens if one of us gets hurt?"

Gandalf say on his cart, a thoughtful look upon his old careworn face.

"Do not trouble yourself, Merry my lad," he said quietly. "We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it..."

The ponies trekked over a small hillock and then they saw it; the Valley. The Elven haven of Rivendell still looked as beautiful as the first time they had seen it; stunning Elvish sculpturing and building winding its ways in, around and through the trees. The waterfall fell spectacularly, a white mist rising from its depths with a fading rainbow in its centre.

The Hobbits couldn't help but smile...

----

"How bad do you think it is there?" asked Legolas as he rode atop Arod. Once again Gimli sat behind him (much to the Dwarf's annoyance) and Aragorn had mounted Brego. At that point, they were just about to cross the borders of Rohan after a good four days ride.

"In the future?" asked Aragorn. "I believe only Gandalf truly knows, but from the sounds of things, it's _bad_."

"Hmph!" grumbled Gimli. "And just what is new?!"

Legolas turned slightly on the horse. "And just what is that grunt supposed to mean? I don't speak Dwarvish!"

Gimli glared up at the Elf; he liked the lad but sometimes he truly wanted to throttle him. Finally he let all his frustrations come forth in a tidal wave of a speech, not pausing for any breath at all.

"I mean that whenever Gandalf says something is '_bad'_, it usually is more than '_bad'_, factoring at least an eleven on a one to ten scale, and requires us going into yet another life-threatening situation in which we could very well die or get badly injured or have _some_ type of misery or misfortune befall us, or even both, which, when you pair are around especially, oft happens, and-!" He paused when he realised that Legolas was shaking. "What's wrong with you?"

The Elf could no longer contain his laughter and it burst forth with a musical air. "You!" he gasped after he regained some manner of control. Gimli realised that Aragorn was howling too. He folded his arms and scowled.

"Just because you know it's true..."

It took a good three weeks of _very _hard riding before the three were anywhere near Rivendell. It was on the morning of the beginning of their fourth week that Legolas looked out and saw the sun glinting off of the rooftops of the Elven haven. It came as a great relief to all of them; Aragorn had lost count of the amount of bad weather they had been caught out in, and all the rain had ensued that the trio were covered in mud.

"Ah; the sooner we get there and get a proper meal for once, the better!" chuckled Gimli. "None of that rotten Elf bread though; living on that stuff for four weeks means you can enjoy the finer things in life..." A wistful look suddenly passed over the Dwarf's face and his eyes glazed over. "A pipe... ale... salted pork..."

Legolas rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. "Dwarves..."

----

A stable hand came and took the their horses to the stables, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli headed for Elrond's main chambers. Aragorn looked around wistfully; the buildings and the faint sound of distant singing in the air brought back happy childhood memories.

"So, where will we find them?" asked Gimli. Aragorn was about to reply that the others would probably be in the main council chamber when a deep voice coughed, demanding attention.

Gandalf looked at the three weary arrivals with a glint in his eye. "Actually Master Dwarf, you have not very far to look... come, let me take you to the chamber."

Legolas suppressed a groan. "But ai Gandalf, we've just arrived! I was looking forward to getting something to eat..."

"Some sleep!" continued Aragorn with a yawn. He stretched as he did; that ride had made his joints stiff and now he just wanted to relax.

"Something to drink maybe..." added Gimli wistfully. Though he didn't want to admit it, he'd required a taste for Elven alcohol the last time he was here.

"I'm afraid not!" said Gandalf. "I'm heading off to fetch the Hobbits and then you're off!"

Their faces fell simultaneously. Gandalf noted it with some amusement; to see a Dwarf, an Elf and a Human with the exact same look on their faces (disbelief), covered in mud and grime, was certainly a sight to see.

"No rest for the wicked then," grumbled Gimli underneath his breath. He had been looking forward to that ale. Gandalf eyed him suspiciously, having heard the comment, but decided to let it go.

Aragorn meanwhile, had been wondering over something for the past week or so. "Will they not be a little..." He searched for the right word. "_Put out_ by us? After all, we have four Hobbits, an Elf, a Dwarf, and then myself being a human..."

Gandalf shook his head. "Oh no. Believe me Aragorn when I say that the future has races which make every one here pale in comparison!"

Legolas arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like fun..."

The Wizard turned. "I shall meet you in the Library in five minutes. Until then..." He nodded knowingly before he disappeared around the corner, the end of his white cloak trailing behind him...

----

The Library was one of the oldest rooms in Rivendell. Vast and expansive, it stretched for a long way before ending with a large mural of the Fall of Gondolin on the back wall, in front of which were many large soft chairs, perfect for reading in. Scrolls lay on the shelves and on heavy, intricately carved wooden desks while thousands of books, their delicate aged pages now yellowing and almost translucent, lay about the shelves, the floor, and in large stacks in the corners of the room.

The round ceiling, complete with sky light, rose high above the green marble floor, was inlaid with thin slivers of gold and decorated with more paintings depicting famous Elves and Men throughout the history of Middle-Earth. All in all, it was a spectacularly beautiful room.

Pippin gasped in awe at the extent of the Library. He'd never seen so many books in his life. The Hobbits were all there, each looking at things which had grabbed their attention. Frodo was occupying himself by reading some of the simpler Elven texts, whilst Sam gazed in wonder at the mural on the wall. Merry had found some old artefacts in a large glass case; swords, armour, and other small things like musical instruments and jewellery, but the youngest Hobbit was simply fascinated by the ceiling.

"It's just so _high_..." he thought, amazed.

"I thought the same thing when I first came here," said a familiar voice behind him. Pippin turned to see Aragorn standing there and his face broke into a grin.

"Aragorn!"

The other Hobbits looked up from what they were doing, wondering what the commotion was. As Legolas and Gimli entered the room, the both burst out laughing as Aragorn was suddenly swamped by four tackle-like hugs.

"My my, Aragorn," said Legolas, still laughing. "You seem very popular today!"

They were all still getting over the sight of Aragorn flat on his back when Gandalf entered with Elrond. The two elders simply stared at the scene as Aragorn and the Hobbits flushed slightly with embarrassment.

Gandalf cleared his throat. "If you are all quite finished, I believe we should begin." He withdrew from a secret pocket somewhere in his robes, a small round disc which was embossed with many strange patterns and a language which none of them knew. As he placed the disc on a round table, they each took a seat around.

"As you all know, the future now needs our help, and, as I have also told you, there will be dangers there. _Do_ _not_, under any circumstances, let the Enemy know that you are there; both Sauron himself and his allies believe you all to be well gone from the land."

"Try to keep this mission as simple as possible. Go to the future, retrieve the Gothal, and return here with it. Of course it will not be simple; Sauron is powerful and has things at his disposal which we can only dream of, but if you do as I say, he will not even know you are there."

"When you arrive, head immediately for anywhere where you can get underground. This is vastly important; do not forget it! Try your hardest not to get to know anyone there; there will be those who you will meet who know of your quest, possibly ones you _already_ know, who will help you. Unless they speak of me or the sister to this disc, do not disclose any information."

The wizard pointed his staff towards the disc and muttered some strange words, and without warning, the whole room descended into darkness, despite the fact that it was daylight outside. The air grew cold, and Sam watched as his warm breath curled into white mist, rising in front of him before melting away.

Gimli thought he could hear a distant rumble; quite like the noise heard when a rickety cart full of quarry in the mines was let loose down a steep hill. He didn't like it...

Suddenly, without warning, the small round disc opened up and a beam of bright green light burst out. It rose with lightning speed towards the ceiling before spreading out into a triangular shape. The onlookers simply gazed in awe.

Paler green mist seemed to waft across the opening, and each member of the Fellowship wondered what it was.

"The Mists of Time," Gandalf explained, as though reading their minds. "Don't worry; it's quite safe. Just stay close to each other." He extended his arm, pointing towards the portal. "There you go! Just walk straight through..."

Pippin took a faltering step forward. He then looked up to the top of the huge gateway and took a determined step backward. As brave as he wanted to be, the opening didn't look too welcoming.

"Ah wait!" said Gandalf suddenly. The Fellowship stopped in their tracks (quite relieved). The Wizard had a look on his face that told them he had just remembered something important.

"You can't go looking like that!"

The seven soon-to-be-time-travellers looked at each other with confusion. "What do you mean Gandalf?" asked Pippin, not sure what the Wizard meant.

Aragorn was just as mystified; of course he, Legolas and Gimli were filthy from their hard travels from the previous weeks, but why should the Hobbits have to change? They had been in Rivendell for weeks and were perfectly clean.

"I mean young Peregrin," began the Istari. "That if the seven of you turn up in this place dressed the way you are now, anyone working for the Enemy will see that you do not belong there and immediately be suspicious of you, which is the exact thing we do not want. Now hold still, all of you..."

The tip of Gandalf's staff began to glow with a brilliant white flame, so bright that they had shield their eyes against it. The Wizard pointed it to each of the companions in turn...

As the radiance died down, Frodo looked down at himself. He was shocked at what he saw. Instead of his usual little brown overcoat and smart Hobbit-fashioned shirt and trousers, he was dressed in the strangest clothing he'd ever seen.

It was a white short sleeved shirt with a large logo across the front and blue trousers ripped open at the knees. On his feet, he now wore strange looking shoes with a tick shape on the side, laced with strings that seemed to be white once but now were faded and dirty, but if he was honest, they were surprisingly comfortable. Everyone was dressed in similar clothes, each with subtle differences but following the same pattern.

Pippin's eyes crossed as he stared at the hat on his head. Pulling it off, he read the embroidered words of _New York Yankees Rasouball Team_ across the front. His grey trousers matched the grey coat he wore, while underneath was a dark blue shirt, short sleeved, just like Frodo's.

The only time Aragorn and Legolas had seen clothing remotely like this was when they had been down South in Harad many years ago. The people there had much wealth, and wore strange exotic clothes, but even they were nothing compared to these strange garments.

"It is strange I know, but you will get used to it," said Elrond. "You had better go now. Just walk forwards, and make sure to stay together. Do not separate or there is no telling where you will end up, and the other disc is only in your destination. Should you wander into the wrong world, you will not get back!"

Frodo gulped. "Well... see you on the other side Sam..." Reaching out a small hand, he pushed forward into the green light and into the Mists of Time.

As each followed, they found themselves passing through the gateway and into a non-world; a place opposite to a reality.

"Just walk forwards..." thought Merry, looking about nervously. "Always forwards..."

The Mists of Time were hauntingly ethereal; a white rolling mist clung to the floor and swirled about their feet. Great pinnacles of clear glass rose up from the ground and rose higher than any of their eyes could see, and if they had the chance to gaze down as the mist cleared around their feet a little, they were shocked to find that the vast expanse of nothingness spread downwards as well; they walked on _nothing_.

In front of them was a bright white light shining out of the gloom. "There it is," said Frodo.

Apprehension held the moment for a short second in time, before Aragorn, a grin look of determination set upon his face, said; "Then let us see what lies ahead..."

----

The first thing they knew was that it was very quiet... almost too quiet.

"Aragorn," said Gimli quietly. "I think you'd better come and look at this."

Walking up with the dwarf, Aragorn reached the top of the hill where the rest seemed to be watching something. He wondered momentarily at the looks of horror and confusion on their faces before looking out himself.

The land was scorched black. Ruins lay where tall buildings once stood, the mangled wrecks of machinery lying in deserted streets, and a heavy, thick silence hung in the air.

"There's nothing..." whispered Sam, horrified. "Not a plant, not a person... _nothing_..."

No-one said a word. Was this what had become of their world? Had this scene of destruction played out all over Middle-Earth? What had happened to their homes, and those of their friends?

Legolas, like the others, was thinking those things when he heard something. It was a clanking and whirring noise, unlike anything he had ever heard before. He turned away from the scene of destruction before him and approached the edge of the other side of the hill, which dropped away suddenly into a cliff face.

A deep empty valley lay before him, which he recognised to his great dismay as being the old valley of Imladris. Like the rest of this world, it seemed the haven of the Elves had succumbed to annihilation. He was sure that the perplexing noise was coming from here, but where was the source?

Suddenly, something large shot up from the base of the valley, knocking Legolas off his feet. Looking upwards, the Elf's eyes widened as he beheld a large metal thing hovering in front of him. Bright red lights swivelled in its skull-like head and fixed directly on him as its arm suddenly shifted in its shape and clicked into place. Pointing it towards the Elf, it fired a sudden shot of a bright light towards him.

Legolas dodged at the last minute and the plasma shot hit the earth, leaving a small crater in its wake and showering the Fellowship with dust. Legolas scrambled to his feet and ran back to his shocked companions as the machine sailed through the dust.

"Run!!!" he shouted. The others needed no persuasion, quickly following suit and running towards the abandoned buildings. The machine continued to fire its deadly beams at them, throwing up the dirt as it missed each time.

As they reached the half collapsed buildings, the seven time-travellers hid behind a wall which had partially fallen over.

"What is that thing?!" gasped Sam between breaths.

Aragorn shook his head. "I have no idea!"

Gimli glared at Legolas. "Elf, what did you do?!" He didn't mean to sound angry, but truth be told, he had no idea what they were suddenly up against and frankly, it scared him to feel so vulnerable all of a sudden. Legolas just looked back helplessly as the machine whirred overhead again and aimed.

"Quick!" called a voice from by a mangled metal lamppost. "Here!" A small figure was beckoning them towards a hidden door. The Fellowship ran for their lives towards their saviour as another blast shook the ground. The shockwave rippled across the floor and caused Pippin to trip. Aragorn turned back quickly and went back for him.

The machine paused in its approach and suddenly registered that Aragorn was there. In a flash it halted, its red laser eyes fixed on him, and suddenly a long beam shot out. Pippin turned into Aragorn's shoulder, hiding his face.

Turning back just in time to see the beam headed towards his cousin and friend, Merry cried; "Pippin!" He was sure that this was going to kill them both... they hadn't even began their mission and two of them were about to die...

Instead, as the beam hit them both, it moved up and down as though looking at them in detail. As the beam finished at Aragorn's toes, the human had a feeling that this was more dangerous than the shots the large thing had been firing.

The beam folded up along itself, and as it went back into the monster's eyes, the red lights suddenly shrank, just like pupils in real eyes do when someone is suddenly scared. The jets on its feet suddenly roared into life and the machine propelled itself upwards. Aragorn picked up Pippin and ran for the shelter. Entering the door, the new person turned to them all.

"Get down there, and for God's sake, shut up!" It surprised them that this was a female voice, but the Middle-Earthlings, confused and, albeit un-admittedly, terrified, did as they were told and crouched down low.

The girl pressed her back against the wall of soil and pulled back a tattered, ragged piece of cloth that served as a makeshift curtain. Peering above to see out, she watched with wary eyes as the clanking machine sailed overhead. It seemed though that the machine had lost the whereabouts of the Fellowship and had given up, for the whirring noises gradually died away, and the girl sighed with relief, shutting her eyes and sagging against the wall.

The Fellowship, content with this apparent sign that all was well, released the breath they had all been holding.

Suddenly, the girl's eyes snapped open with fury and she strode angrily towards them, hands balled into fists.

"WHAT THE _HELL_ DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!"

**WOAH, monster chapter!!! Over 3000 words (about 8 pages) and that's without review replies or anything!!! **

**Tell me what you think! It's so cute though; I've drawn all of them in the new clothing. Well, actually, I drew them first, THEN wrote according to them... ) Just so you know, the team name on Pippin's hat was inspired by the ****New York**** Yankees. Rasouball is a sport I've made up; keep reading to see what it actually _is_!**

**And this new character; yes, she is a girl, but don't let that put you off the story! I promise you under pain of death that she is NOT a Mary-Sue, will NOT fall in love with any of the characters, and does not wield special powers!!! Ok? So stick with me... you may be pleasantly surprised!**

**DON'T FORGET TO R&R!!!**


	6. Behind the Door

**Hi again! Sorry for neglecting ALL of my fanfiction for so long... –slaps self-**

**Mellaithwen****; Lol! Well, I'll soon have all of the pictures from this fic up on my website! Believe me, I've done the most fan art for this fic! But I can't post all of it in one go; many are for future chapters and they're scenes I really don't want to give away! –rubs hands together- That Vero-bot last chapter! –laughs- We're only just getting started...**

**Stoneage Woman****; I couldn't abandon this; I love it too much, really! However, Narn I Hin may well be a different story though; I think I went over my head with that one. I've lost the story plot due to my brother deciding to delete some of my plot files –kicks brother- and to be honest I've lost the will for it to live... too many O/Cs for me to keep up with. It was stupid of me to start it! I'm in fourth year at secondary school; Year 10 as we call it. I'm the oldest in my year; if I'd been born 2 days earlier, I'd be in the year above! Lol!**

**Irish Anor****; Ah right, so THAT'S what the Anti-Christ is! It's ok, you've told me enough now, have a rest, lol! I'll try and find out some more by looking around the net, ok? ; ) ... I can't believe your name was still Irish QT when I last UPDATED for that chapter! –shakes head- I'm so awful at updating... so, you _really_ want Legolas angst! _Really_! Ok then Irish... I'll see what I can do... ; )**

**TO EVERYONE!**

**I reckon you'll be able to begin to see just how wild my imagination has been running for this story from this chapter onwards. What can I say? I've finally found a story in the LotR section of my own where I can just go to town! So, hold onto your hats ladies and gentlemen; this is where it starts to go SCI-FI!**

.: Chapter 5 :.

The Fellowship were stunned. The girl looked to be in her early twenties, with short blonde hair, dressed in a steely grey uniform of combat trousers and a military shirt. An ID card was clipped to the breast pocket, bearing a grainy black and white photograph and the name _Kelsey MacIntire_ printed in large block letters.

"That's it," huffed Kelsey, shaking her head, clearly agitated. "I'm reporting you lot!" Pulling a small black box-shaped item from the inside of her faded coat, she pressed a button and moved it closer to her mouth. Another piece suddenly flipped out of the box and craned up towards her ear.

"Daniel? Yeah, I got seven morons who were up top... yeah, I know. Don't worry, I've alre- what? You want to see them? But- ... alright then, Dan, you're the boss... I'll see you up there then... Fifth Level? Ok then. Bye!"

She pressed the button once again and the ear piece snapped back into a hidden place. "Daniel wants to see you lot, right now."

Aragorn cleared his throat. "Excuse me for asking, but who is Daniel, and why does he wish to see us?"

Kelsey rolled her eyes. "Obviously you lot aren't from this Quadrant... Daniel is our Quadrant Leader; in fact, it was him and his brother who came up with the idea of having them. Surely you know that?"

There were blank looks all round. Kelsey simply shook her head, frustrated.

"Look, if you don't mind, there's someone waiting to see you and believe me, he's a very busy guy!" she snapped. "Now move it!"

Gimli bristled. He wasn't going to be spoken to like that! "Just WHO do you think you are!"

Kelsey glared at him and flashed a badge. "I _happen_ to be on Gate Guard duty. I am a part of Quadrant 60254 Patrol; Position of Keeper, ID: 443, and this _happens_ to be a position of authority, and I _happen_ to be doing my job!" She drew in a breath before continuing. "Now, it is my duty to have you all reported for presenting a hazard to this Quadrant community, and the Quadrant Leader has specifically requested to see you, so if you knew what's good for you, YOU'D HOP TO IT!"

Gimli glared back at her, his eyes glittering dangerously. A hand on his shoulder told him to back down.

"Come," said Legolas. "We'll sort this out when we meet this 'Daniel'..."

-

So, they did as they were asked, Kelsey leading the way. They wandered down many narrow tunnels, some so lacking in space that single file was required. This continuous marching lasted quite awhile, until at last they reached what appeared to be a large hatchway sunken into the rocky surface of the wall.

Kelsey approached it and placed her palm upon a large flat plate that sat just to the right of a large handled wheel. The plate bleeped and glowed with green lettering; **WELCOME KELSEY MACINTIRE**

Kelsey then turned the wheel part-way which then began to turn by itself. With a hiss and a jet of steam that shot from the base of the hatchway, it swung open, revealing what was hidden inside.

The Fellowship could not contain the gasp of awe as they saw what was behind the door.

There was a huge primitive, yet clean and airy, city in here, bustling and teeming with activity. Large wooden columns dominated the view, all of them surrounded by large platforms equal spaces upwards. Green vines and huge feathery plants descended from the ceiling, which was out of view, and around them, many different people and creatures walked. As the Fellowship clambered through the hole in the wall, they looked upwards as the city stretched up for miles to the roof of the cavern. On each level there was the same bustling city life, while almost out of sight large creatures, indistinguishable because of the distance, flew in circles around in the air.

Humans mingled on the level they were currently on; so many different kinds. Tall, short, fair skinned, dark skinned, black haired, blonde haired, tattooed, winged... and all manner of creatures too. Pippin side-stepped quickly as a large blue-skinned four-legged beast stomped past him, its short trunk swinging just below its chin. As Pippin gaped after it, it rolled its beady eye around on a flexible stalk, facing backwards.

"Sorry..." it grated in a high pitched squeaky voice.

Kelsey had continued walking, but retraced her steps as she was suddenly missing seven people from her group. She folded her arms and arched an eyebrow at the awe-struck spectators.

"You lot finished yet?" she asked, grinning slightly...

-

They had gradually become somewhat used to the idea of so many strange things in this new world, and so the Fellowship, shocked as they were, had carried on to meet this 'Daniel' person with Kelsey.

"Frodo," whispered Sam quietly so that the young woman couldn't hear him. "Are you sure we ought to trust him?"

Frodo shrugged. "I can't be sure Sam. After all, we had our suspicions about Aragorn when we first met him, yet look at us now..." He pondered the thought for a moment. "I think we should go with her; should anything happen, we are together. I'm sure we can handle anything that might possibly arise."

"That's what worries me..." grumbled Sam.

They approached the foot of one of the large columns. There was a large white desk here which stretched all the way around in a circle. In the middle sat a young woman in a tight light blue uniform; a blazer, a skirt, and a small hat on top of her head, her hair scraped into a tight bun.

Kelsey turned tot hem. "If you don't mind, wait here." With that, she wandered over to the desk.

Immediately her charges began to converse.

"So, who do you think this Daniel is?" asked Merry. He had been mulling over the thought in his mind all the while.

"Who knows?" said Aragorn. "What matters is exactly what he is going to say or do."

"Aye," Legolas said, nodding. "We are in a strange place and apart from each other, we know no-one. Should this man have such a degree of authority as that child says-" And it was here that he inclined his head towards Kelsey who was saying something animatedly to the woman in blue, "- we could easily encounter some trouble."

"I say deprive her of her head and be done with it!" said Gimli. He'd had enough of this girl and her aloof attitude; he'd thought Elves were bad, but then again, to his credit he'd never dreamed he'd have to deal with 31st Century females.

Meanwhile, Kelsey was trying to argue her point to the stewardess.

"Please; Daniel told me to bring them to him! You have to let me up to Level 5!"

The stewardess shook her head. "I'm sorry Miss MacIntire, but I can't allow it; you know that unauthorised access to Level 5 is prohibited."

Kelsey slammed her hands on the desk. "Look! I'm telling you-"

She was cut off as the computer desk bleeped. The stewardess sighed. "Sorry, please just let me take this." She ran a finger lightly across a light grey panel built into the desk and a transparent screen slid up out of it. Green writing scrolled across the screen which the stewardess read quickly, her eyes darting. She quickly typed something in return before the screen slid back into place.

"That was Daniel. He's given me instructions to allow you to take them up." Slipping her hand under the desk, she pulled out seven metal tags on chains. "Hand those out will you? They can't get up there if-"

"I know, I know," said Kelsey, interrupting. "Are you operating the lift?"

The stewardess nodded. Taking a bunch of keys from under the desk, she slotted one into a small keyhole in the desk.

The Fellowship were just in the act of discussing possible escape plans when a large door suddenly hissed and opened next to them. The doors stretched the whole width of the wooden column. Needless to say, it gave them rather a shock.

Kelsey came back over to them, staring. "It's a lift, lads, nothing more... here, catch!" She threw a pass to each of them. "Keep them on at all times. If you don't, you'll have to deal with security, and seeing as you lot already seem as jumpy as bebbits at everything, that's probably something you want to avoid... in you go."

"Why?" asked Aragorn suspiciously. Kelsey rolled her eyes.

"Do you lot always have to argue everything I say?" She huffed. "You have to, because this is the lift, and you have to meet Daniel – Daniel is up there, and to get up there, you have to take the lift! Comprendé?"

With a severely annoyed silence, the Fellowship scowled at Kelsey as they entered the lift.

Back at the desk, the stewardess turned the key again. The doors slid shut. Flipping up a plastic lid, she pressed a bright green button.

Kelsey rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet as she heard the lift begin to whirr into life.

"You _may_ want to brace yourselves..."

Without warning, the lift suddenly shot upwards. Merry suddenly had the sensation that he'd left his stomach back on the ground floor. Aragorn grasped the handle bar so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

With a jolt, the lift suddenly braked hard. A calm, serene voice came over the Tannoy; "_Secure Access; Level 5. Please have your passes ready._"

Sam reckoned it would be more practical to have sick bags ready instead. Kelsey stepped out of the lift quite contentedly, walking sprightly along the platform. She was followed by seven dizzy, wobbly-legged Middle-Earthians...

-

The narrow walkway stretched out ahead of them. It seemed so long... so many miles long...

Kelsey pointed down the white walkway that was suspended between the current column that they were currently on and another one. It had black handrails either side and only seemed wide enough to allow on person to walk down it at a time.

"There you go. Straight down there, show your passes, the go through the door." She turned her back to them and began to head off in the other direction. "Good luck lads!" she called back, smirking. "You're gonna need it..."

Pippin gulped. "I don't like the sound of that..."

Aragorn inhaled deeply. "Well, let's not keep him waiting." With these words, he stepped out onto the walkway and, grasping both handrails, walked down towards a pair of towering white doors that loomed over them.

Frodo and Sam followed, trusting the former Ranger as ever, then Merry and Pippin who stuck close to their cousin. Legolas was about to step out when he saw Gimli still standing there.

"Ah..." he thought. "The same predicament we faced with the horse..." The Elf cleared his throat.

"Just don't look down..." he whispered discreetly. The Dwarf bristled and spluttered.

"Now wait just one minute! I-! Just what-! You _little_-!"

Legolas simply smiled serenely and continued walking. Gimli glowered after him before taking a tentative step onto the bridge.

"Bloody Elf..."

-

Another circular white desk was here, but the atmosphere was much colder and detached here at this lift station. This one was manned by a man in a white suit and glasses.

Aragorn approached cautiously.

"Excuse me sir, but I-"

"Do you have a pass?" asked the white-suited man quickly. Aragorn was caught off guard.

"Pardon me?"

"Do you and your companions have passes?" asked the man again. Aragorn nodded, showing the steward the metal pass that hung around his neck. The steward peered at the pass, scrutinising it. A magnifier popped out of the side of his glasses frame, flipping to the front and allowing him a closer look.

"Thank you sir," said the steward. "Through the door please." He revealed a set of keys and turned one in a lock. The white doors opened with a pneumatic hiss to allow a small room concealed in the column to come into Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship's view.

Aragorn murmured a quick, albeit slightly bewildered, thank you, and with his friends, he walked through the doors...

-

Inside, a young woman in a pink uniform greeted them. "Hello there!" she said, smiling warmly. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Not that we know of..." said Frodo, speaking for everyone. "All we know is that... Daniel... asked to see us."

"Oh!" said the secretary in a tone of realisation. "You're the new group! Daniel said he wanted to see you urgently; come with me please!" She walked quickly in her high heeled shoes towards a smaller white door at the far end of the room.

As they approached, they could hear two voices conversing loudly.

"Look, I just don't see how it's going to help the defence systems!" said one, sounding moody.

"Trust me Dan; it'll work! I've been working for months on this!"

There was a hiss, a gasp, and then a small explosion caused the walls to reverberate as the room was filled with a light smoke. The second one of the two laughed.

"You see! I told you it would work!"

The first voice came back again, sighing with exasperation. "Honestly, you're like a child with a new toy with those inventions of yours..."

The secretary had unfortunately opened the door at precisely the wrong time. She coughed and blinked as her eyes stung. "Ah... Daniel, please excuse me for interrupting your conversation with Mr. Pedherel-"

"Ronald is fine, Samantha," said the second one quickly.

"-Ronald then... as I was saying Daniel; your guests have arrived."

Aragorn drew in a gasp as he saw their faces. He _knew_ them...

How could he have been so stupid! He should have known! Right now, Aragorn was in the process of praising Gandalf; he ought to have realised that the wizard would have something up his sleeve; _something_ which wouldn't leave them utterly alone and helpless in this strange world...

Daniel and Ronald. Really rather simple when he thought about it.

Elladan and Elrohir...

**Now, tell me if/when you guessed who Daniel was... I'm genuinely curious to know! I tried to hide it for as long as possible you see...**

**Ok, here's a small dictionary of 31st Century things so far; I'll post these after every few chapters (Every 5 I think?), ok? Just in case there's anything that confuses you...**

**Hover-cars – **kinda explains itself, eh? ; )

**Solar-Train – **A train that used to run through New London which used solar power. Destroyed in the War of the Red Eye.

**Vero-bots – **Machines created by servants of Sauron. Feared by ordinary people, these huge robots are capable of flight, and have dragged many people away into the clutches of the Dark Lord.

**The Shade – **Human followers of Sauron. A sinister organization, these people are the only ones who have the safety of walking 'up top'.

**Rasouball – **A 31st century game. It has dominated world sport, becoming more popular than football/soccer or baseball ever was. Played across the planet, Rasouball is almost the only source of entertainment people have left.

**Quadrants – **Colonies where the population hides underground. There are 100845 known colonies in the world at the time.

**Stewardesses/Stewards – **They run the lifts as well as security for each level; from Level 1 to Level 6. DO NOT get lift stewards confused with Gondorian Stewards!

**More will be added as time goes by... if I've missed anything that you're confused about, just tell me and I'll add it to the list. Remember though, it won't come up until Chapter 10... ; )**


	7. Silence

**Right, I'm just adding this chapter before I head off on my hols! ;-) I'll read any reviews I get as soon as I get back...**

**Mellaithwen****; WOAH! –falls off of chair- No need to shout! Lol! I'll be putting up the pictures soon, I promise! I'll email you them first though... seeing as you're my very good friend. –nod-**

**Estel****; Thanks Jo! -blushes- Funny thing is, I've never watched Stargate ever... sounds interesting though. Well, I chose the names because:**

**DAN – I tried to think of the closest thing to Elladan that we have now; Elladan, 'Dan, Dan, Daniel... easy conclusion.**

**RONALD: Harder. I thought of Ro, then thought of different names that could fit and sound natural but still had the Ro part at the beginning. Poor Elrohir; he went through a bit of an identity crisis as I tried to settle on a name: Roland, Ross, Rob... in the end I settled for Ronald as a tribute to someone I used to know, just like...**

**SAMANTHA: The secretary, which was chosen in tribute to a very good friend of mine, Sam.**

**So, that's how they got their names!**

**Irish Anor****; LOL! I was getting a little worried there Irish! Lol! One of the 'old crowd'? -blushes- Wow! I'm popular! Hey, wait a sec, I've only been writing for 2 years! Lol! Actually, I have to agree with you there; I flicked through the Just In section a minute ago and there was a load of tripe there... –shakes head- Where now is the good fanfiction? How did it come to this? Lol, I've been itching for a chance to say that!**

**Stoneage Woman****; Ah, exams... the bane of many a teen... –kicks the inventor of exams- Bloody Bas- Erm... I wasn't about to swear there! He he... ok then, will do! From now on, there'll be a summary of the previous chapter at the start of each new one...**

**Tinewen****; Thanks! Artemis Fowl? Hmm, I hadn't thought of that... yes, I guess this story does share some elements with it, but it never actually entered my head to draw anything from those books into this story... lol! I know what you mean about Elladan and Elrohir, they're my two favourite non-movie characters! But in some ways I'm glad that they weren't in the film; it means that us literate readers can keep them ALL TO OURSELVES... lol! **

**LATMC****; Lol! Well I'm really glad that you like it! -nods- Thank you for your kind words. I love the sci-fi objects too actually:-) And I know what you mean, wishing that they were real now; I could definitely use one of those hands-free communicators, lol! Thanks for reading!**

**Saerwen****; You have NO idea how pleased I was every time I opened my Inbox and found the next review from you, lol! So thanks for keeping me in a super good mood, lol! So I'll try to answer each of them in detail... I'd like to see your story, Arrogance, once it's uploaded! Don't forget to drop me a line when it is... ;-) Hitler? Hmm, it seems that everyone has their own opinions on this story; I've had Hitler, the Anti-Christ, even George W. Bush... I just like to leave my readers to their own thoughts and opinions, but I love to see them. NO – don't panic, I would NEVER make Goths the evil ones! Why? Because I _AM_ one! Lol! Legolas angst? Well, seeing as I love it so, and also that I don't think a good story is complete WITHOUT it, I'll see what I can do... -nods- Lol, so Kelsey is your Almost-Identical-Twin, huh? ;-) Glad to hear it! I was hoping that she'd seem _somewhat_ realistic to people at the very least, and to hear that just makes me think it's a job well done. Thanks for all of your reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**araloth****; Thank you:-)**

**qwen****; Yup, I'm English! Well, half Scottish half English... being British is the COOLEST:-D Cool, what's ****Texas**** like? Oooh, this reminds you of what:-) Please, I really want to know! ;-)**

**TO ALL READERS: WARNING, there is ONE swear word in this chapter. Just so you know! ;-)**

**Now, onto...**

.: Chapter 6 :.

_PREVIOUSLY__ – Upon their decidedly untimely arrival, the Fellowship were reported for "representing a hazard to the Quadrant community" by a young Patrol Officer who seemed more than a little agitated. Taken into the heart of the Quadrant community, they realised that they certainly weren't dealing with anything they knew anymore. After being shouted down, almost stepped on and surviving a rather sickening ride in a lift, they now find themselves dealing with the Quadrant leader and his brother. Luckily for them though, it turned out to be two people that Aragorn knew very well..._

-

It had taken Aragorn a few moments of dumbstruck disbelief for him to fully convince himself that the two in the room were really his brothers. Elladan had cropped his raven hair short and was wearing a smart looking black suit with a red tie and black shoes. Elrohir on the other hand had left his hair long, which was kept back out of his face with a low ponytail, and was wearing a well-worn blue tee-shirt and three-quarter length sports trousers; the look was finished off with a Rasouball cap and a pair of imitation 21st Century converses.

"Well well," said Elrohir, allowing himself a smile. "Look who's finally showed up!"

Aragorn stood, open mouthed. "H-how!"

Elladan laughed and gave his younger adoptive brother a tight hug. "We'll explain later! Right now, we have to talk to you all... take a seat?"

Moving to the head of a long white table that dominated the centre of the room, Elladan pushed a small button underneath the table. Suddenly, nine sliding doors opened in the walls, and out came chairs, each hovering about a foot from the ground. They stopped as they each reached a place at the table.

"I expect you're all quite exhausted from your run-in with that Vero-bot, aye?" continued the Elf. He sat down in the chair that had pulled up behind him.

Elrohir chuckled. "Well, aren't you going to sit? The chairs don't bite you know..." As though to prove his point, he sat in his own hovering seat, putting his feet up on the table. Tentatively the newcomers sat down.

"Ro, for goodness' sake, get your feet down..." said Elladan quickly, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, you are the only person I know who seems to have regressed mentally as time has gone by!"

Aragorn laughed. "I see you both haven't changed..."

Frodo cleared his throat, and suddenly all eyes were on him. He shrank slightly in his chair. "You... erm, said you had urgent matters to discuss with us?" he said quietly.

There was a brief pause for a moment as Elladan and Elrohir thought hastily about this. Suddenly it was though someone had hastily replanted the memory in their heads.

"Ah yes!" said Elrohir. "Forgive us-"

"It's just been so long-" continued Elladan.

"-since we've seen any of you-"

"-that we got a little carried away-"

"-but rest assured-"

"-we'll talk about those matters right now," they both finished in unison.

"I see you can still finish each other's sentences as well..." commented Legolas.

Elladan clapped his hands once. "Onto business!" he said quickly, smiling. Pressing another button at his place, a large hole opened in the centre of the table and all of the lights in the room faded to darkness. A beam of green light was projected up from this hole, moulding into a mesh shape. It was yet another computer screen.

Elladan cleared his throat. "Well, a very long time ago, Gandalf came to us both whilst we were staying in Rivendell. In fact, it was the day you all left to come here, though we didn't realise that at the time. He instructed us with clear orders that we were strictly forbidden from leaving Middle-Earth until we'd met up again with you all..."

"Well, needless to say," said Elrohir. "We were more than a little confused at the order, but we complied nevertheless. We waited, as promised, for thousands of years. We saw a lot in that time. In the space of time since you left that day until you arrived here, so much has happened; three World Wars, the first man to land on Pluto, the destruction of the European Union when the British protested against its rules and regulations, the Second Industrial Revolution, the Sinking of Australia, and so on and so forth..."

At each of these, a short image flashed on the green lightscreen. Scenes of destruction and devastation played in front of their eyes, and suddenly, each member of the Fellowship was unwillingly transported in their minds back to their own pasts, and the parts they played in the destruction of the Ring. It wasn't a place where they really wanted to be.

"But by far, the most destructive of all the events that have happened is the War of the Red Eye," said Elladan.

The scenes in front of them changed. It was a barren landscape, with a darkened sky and fires burning. The scene of a battle played out before them; huge machines against an army of men with guns and missiles.

"We were vastly outnumbered. Everything up top, everything that we once knew... gone. Everything you all knew. Gondor, or what remained of it in Italy and Greece anyway, that was the first to go. Then Rohan. That had become what was known as Spain and Portugal. They tried so hard to keep it, but it was no use. Mirkwood and Lothlorien both fell at around the same time, though by now they were no longer woods. Instead, huge spreading cities had replaced the trees, but their skyscrapers were no match for the Vero-bots.

Finally, Rivendell and the Shire here in England succumbed to the darkness as well, but not before the remaining Elves could get a message to the Hobbits, who had stayed in hiding for centuries. They fled to their own settlements underground, but a few Elves, myself and Elrohir included, stayed behind to help the humans... not that it helped much." he finished bitterly.

"We were all forced underground," said Elrohir. "It was the only place where the Vero-bots couldn't reach. At least, it was while we got this settlement set up. We're not so sure now; they've got so much new technology being spliced into their system that it's difficult to tell what they can do now. We've been getting some intelligence suggesting that they're able to scan people now, though we can't prove it."

"Scan?" asked Pippin. "What's that?"

"Well, a red light is shot at the target, which reads you. Apparently, the robot then uses the beam to take in vital information; height, weight, age, gender, where you're from... all sorts..." said Elladan. There was a brief pause. "Are you alright Pippin?"

Pippin was as white as a sheet. "T-that's what it is?"

That's what had happened to him and Aragorn. They'd been scanned. Now that terrible machine knew almost everything about them; everything except their names.

"W-when we were running... from that thing... it... it-!"

He was cut off as someone barged in to the room, panting for breath. The new arrival was an odd creature; purple skinned with huge bulbous eyes and a thick head of silver hair. He was about the same height as the Hobbits but his frame, far from being stocky as was true for most Hobbits, was very lithe and skinny. He wore the same steel grey uniform as Kelsey had been wearing earlier, and his ID card read 'Milken Radbothe'.

"Daniel! Sir, the sensors have picked up a Vero-bot within the Quadrant radius! It's headed towards the Quadrant!"

Elladan's eyes widened and he sprang to his feet, slamming his hand on a large button in front of him. The screen which had relayed the information about time to the Fellowship squashed then stretched, changing into a blurry camera view. It showed a view of the barren dead landscape above them; a large cloud of dust was quickly headed towards them. Red glowing eyes were visible through the thick layers of cloud.

"Ro! Get up to the Computer now; tell everyone the procedure, and remember this isn't a drill! We've got no room for mistakes!"

Elrohir nodded and quickly ran towards the lifts that were outside the white office. Elladan turned to the Fellowship.

"I don't want you to panic; don't worry, we've dealt with this before. Just get under the table; it'll offer a little protection just in case any of the roof caves in, and for Valar's sake, _STAY SILENT_."

They all stayed riveted to their seats for a moment, wondering what on earth was happening.

"Well, why are you all still sitting there! Get on with it!" hissed Elladan. He quickly turned to the officer who'd brought the news to him.

"Milken, sound the alarm. Alert Level 6; I'm praying that we'll be lucky again but you never know when we might need the Phasas."

Milken nodded quickly and ran off again.

Elladan ran a hand through his cropped dark hair and sighed. He quickly moved back towards the table and crouched down, smiling wryly at his confused companions.

"And now we wait..."

----

Elrohir stepped out of the lift on Level 6. Milken's alert had just reached the pilots up there and they were scrambling to ready the Phasas; a series of small fighter ships that Elrohir himself had designed. They were a last resort however; using a Phasa would require breaking through the 'roof' of the Quadrant, the layer of soil in the earth that served to hide the colony, and launching a Phasa would mean revealing the colony's whereabouts to the enemy.

However, it didn't hurt to be prepared.

A Phasa pilot saluted him, an action which he returned. Elrohir couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt; the pilot looked not much older than fifteen. In the dark days in which they were all living, it seemed that the innocent were being dragged into a war which they shouldn't have had to have anything to do with.

A troop of winged humans ran past him, readying their lasers. Winged humans had evolved around 400 years previously from normal humans who had lived in the mountains and hills surrounded by birds such as eagles and falcons. These extraordinary people were very good at close combat fighting, but Elrohir couldn't help but think their well intentioned efforts would be futile against a killing machine like a Vero-bot.

He crossed the docking bay quickly to a hatchway, the ID plate of which he pressed his hand against. The door accepted his print, opening a small door within the hatchway. A retina scanner burst into life, sending a small blue beam out to his eyes and scanning them. Accepting this information also, the hatchway swung open to allow him in.

Elrohir couldn't help a smug grin crossing his face as he shut the door behind him. He had designed this room, as well as everything in it. The security system was designed to allow him in and him alone. Only he could override the code to allow someone else to gain access to the room.

A large mass of metal and wires loomed up in front of the Elf, suspended a few feet from the ground from the ceiling; the Computer. Elrohir had invented it himself, based on advanced Neptunian technology. Scaling the ladder beside it, he sat in the comfortable leather seat and pulled a visor which covered his eyes over his head. Clicking some buttons in front of him with a well practised ease, a screen flickered into life before his eyes.

**WELCOME RONALD**, it read. Elrohir typed in his password to the security system; _Imladris_. A graphic of a folder leaped into view and he clicked on it. There were then three options - Sound Alarm; Relay Message; Deploy Phasas. He first selected Sound Alarm...

The people of Quadrant 60254 had been happily going about their daily business when it happened. Some had been off to work, some to school... some were simply out for a walk in the bustling vibrant city.

Then the alarms sounded.

It was like an old air raid siren from the Twentieth Century Wars. It was loud and droning... and was the most frightening sound anyone in the city could hear. It meant that one of _them_ was coming.

Immediately, people began to run to where they were supposed to be; mothers clutched their children to them, and the doors of the public shelters were flung open as people hurried inside.

Far above them all, Elrohir quickly double clicked on Relay Message. A recording window popped up on the screen.

Back on Level 1, people froze as they heard the vast tannoy system crackle and start up.

'_Quadrant 60254; this is not a drill. Please enter the nearest shelter you can find, or stay in your home. A Vero-bot is heading this way. Please remain silent; all machines and electrical objects are to be turned off. Any noisemaking will result in severe punishment. Please remain in hiding until the alarm is sounded again. I repeat, this is NOT a drill._'

And then, the most frightening thing set in; the one thing that caused all who heard it to break into a cold sweat. Silence. The alarm quickly faded away, and the entire city was left in silence. Everyone waited with baited breath, eyes heavenward towards the surface of the earth. Waiting for a possible doom to come, and bring their entire world crashing down about them.

There is nothing in the world more unsettling than silence.

Up on Level 5, Sam licked his lips, trying to comprehend what was happening. There was not a single sound, not even the hum of Elladan's computer above the table they were all hidden under. The lights suddenly switched off, plunging the room into darkness; Elrohir had cut the power temporarily from his room on Level 6. The exception was the small luminous strips on the floor that would direct someone to the door in an emergency.

Up in the security rooms, there was silence too. The radar had been placed on silent run, being the only piece of equipment that didn't run on the main power of the colony. A lone officer watched the Vero-bot's progress. It would be upon them within a matter of seconds...

A loud thump rocked the entire colony. Children resisted the urge to cry and buildings shook. Everyone knew what this was. The Vero-bot had landed; it was walking on the ground directly above them. Each earth moving shudder was felt under the ground, and the members of the Quadrant had great difficulty in stopping themselves from screaming in terror.

The machine was there for what felt like an eternity. A step... a pause... another step that shook the foundations of the world...

Then, a deafening roar. Merry flinched; had the machine discovered the colony? Did it know all of these people were hiding just below it? A loud _whoosh_, and then...

It was gone.

Elladan released the breath he'd been holding and crawled out from under the table. "It's alright," he said shakily. "It's safe now..."

----

Elrohir quickly got the power back on. The dim blue lights in his room flickered back on and he quickly brought up the security folder on the Computer again. Sounding the alarm once again, he brought up a new recording window.

'_Thank you all for your co-operation,_' he said, his voice sounding far away and tinny as he spoke to the masses below. '_It is now safe to resume your daily activities._'

With that, he shut the Computer down and climbed down from the tall black leathery seat. Sighing, he wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and clenched his fists in order to stop his hands from shaking. With a bit of luck he wouldn't have to do _that_ again for a while. Using the Computer always took a lot out of him. Then again, if the Fellowship succeeded in their mission, there was the fact that he would _never_ have to do it again. The people of the colony would be able to live without fear, and that was something Elrohir was determined to see happening...

----

Elladan flopped back into his chair. "So, Pippin... you were trying to say?"

Frodo stared at the short haired Elf, bewildered. "How can you be so calm after that!"

Elladan shrugged. There was a hint of sadness on his face as he told them: "Unfortunately it's a common occurrence. I guess I'm just used to it by now." There was a short lull in the conversation before the Elf perked up again. "So! Pippin..."

Pippin shook his head. There was point in panicking about it now; what's done was done. "It's... it's nothing." He smiled awkwardly. "Really."

Elladan nodded slowly. They all stayed like that, quietly sitting, until Elrohir re-entered the room.

"Did you lot not get the message?" he said, grinning as he walked to his seat again. "I've sent the message; you're allowed to talk now!" He laughed slightly at his own little joke. Sitting, he leant forward and rested his head on his hand, leaning on his elbow.

"May I ask you all something?" he said suddenly. "Who put you in those clothes?"

"Gandalf," answered Legolas. "Why?"

"Why!" repeated Elrohir, laughing. "Because you look like a bunch of medieval peasants! Well, I guess even Gandalf gets things wrong... come on, I'll find you all some clothes. I might as well show you where you'll be staying while you're here."

The Fellowship rose from where they were seated and followed Elrohir from the room. Elladan coughed quickly, catching his twin's attention. Elrohir turned expectantly.

"Taking them to Level 3?" asked the elder twin. Elrohir nodded, a glint in his eye and a cheeky grin on his face.

"Well Dan..." he said, a little too innocently. "_Everyone_ knows that Level 3 is where the _life_ is around here..."

Elladan shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Alright..."

Elrohir turned to leave again.

"And Ro?"

Back to face Elladan again. "Yes?"

Elladan looked at him in the same way as a begging mother would look at a tearaway teenager. "For goodness' sake, keep them out of trouble..."

Elrohir winked. "Will do..."

----

It was a few hours later when Elrohir had finally found clothes to fit and suit each of his time travelling guests. He was just paying for the Hobbits' things whilst Aragorn stared out of the shop window.

Level 3 was obviously the shopping and nightlife area of Quadrant 60254. The large platform was basically like a giant shopping centre, with people buying and selling things in the colourful streets. A large amusement arcade dominated the street across the road, catering to the teenage humans and non-humans that enjoyed simulated carnage and destruction through computer games, even if they lived through the threat of it almost every day.

Elrohir pulled some red notes of currency from the inside pocket of his jacket. The tall muscular man behind the counter accepted it with a smile.

"Keep the change," said the Elf with a smile.

The shop owner nodded. "Cheers mate." He began to walk over to where the till was.

Aragorn happened the look round at the till area when he heard a sound like horses' hooves. The shop owner passed a clear display case that was part of the countertop on which the till rested. Aragorn's eyes widened in surprise as he realised that the hoof noise was being made by the shop owner, who was, in fact, a centaur.

Elrohir headed for the shop door, Aragorn quickly catching up with him.

"I thought centaurs were just legends!" he said, struck with surprise and shock.

"Well," said Elrohir. "It's not that big a surprise when you consider that for hundreds of years, people believed Elves were just legends as well. Come on, we've got to get these clothes back to our Hobbit friends."

Truth be told, Aragorn felt a lot more comfortable in these new clothes. A pair of comfy jeans and a Liverpool Rasouball Team sports shirt, topped off with a cap, suited him perfectly. The two brothers turned the corner of the street, turning onto a quieter lane where the Fellowship's living quarters were.

It was a large orange building, which blended in with all of the other brightly coloured structures in the area. The tinted windows prevented anyone on the outside from seeing in, and with good reason. This building was actually part of the Quadrant Police Department, who were needed on Level 3 quite often, once the bars and nightclubs began to empty out. There was, therefore, a great deal of activity going on inside which the public were rightly prohibited from seeing.

The door of the QPD slid to the side as it opened and Elrohir and Aragorn stepped inside. Over by the front desk a rogue Martian hissed as it struggled against navy uniformed police officers, whilst another female officer sat in the corner with a young winged boy on her lap, asking him in simple words if he knew where his mummy was.

Aragorn followed Elrohir up the stairs to where the QPD sheltered housing was. It was police policy to offer a basic home to people who may have lost their homes or their families in an attack, until they could get back on their feet at least.

On the fourth floor of the building, the small homes were far away from the busy activities of the QPD. One room was one home, capable of housing up to four people in each. It had everything one needed to get by; a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small living area, complete with a television.

The four Hobbits had immediately offered to share a room when Elrohir had told them about the number of people one room could hold, and so were currently awaiting the Elf and former Ranger in their quarters; Room 229. Meanwhile, Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn were to share the room next door, much to Elrohir's amusement.

Aragorn knocked on the Hobbits' door, which was opened quickly by Sam.

"Here are your things Sam," said Aragorn, handing the Hobbit a few bags full of clothes. "We weren't sure what you'd all like, so we decided to buy a few different things and let you choose what you want."

Sam smiled brightly and nodded. "Alright then Sir," he said. "I'll be sure to tell Mr. Frodo and the others that."

Aragorn smiled back and said goodbye before walking to the room next door. Now, what scene of chaos and carnage would he walk in onto here? Pushing his key into the lock, Aragorn sighed as he turned it...

"What the hell kind of a sport is this!" came an indignant cry, the giver of which was hidden behind the backrest of the sofa. On the television, a young woman was gracefully dancing in skates across a sheet of ice.

"A 31st Century one," replied a voice from the bedroom. Legolas poked his head around the doorframe and considered the elegant woman on the flickering screen. "Actually I quite like it; she's very good at that, isn't she? She's quite pretty as well, I must admit..."

Gimli raised an eyebrow and sat up straight. "Well, I suppose if you put it that way..."

They stayed like that for a moment, watching with abnormally concentrated interest as the figure-skater leapt into the air, revealing a little bit more of her legs than perhaps she should...

A cough from Aragorn caught their attention. "Are you two finished discussing the finer points of ladies swanning around in tight clothing?"

The Elf and Dwarf suddenly became aware that the human was there and immediately realised what they'd been doing. Legolas coughed quickly and disappeared back into the bedroom. "I've, ah... I'm just... well, things to be put away you know, things like that."

Aragorn shook his head. He walked over and sat on the sofa beside Gimli, who was fiddling with a few stray strands of his beard, intentionally looking away from the television. "Honestly, I can't leave you two alone for five minutes..." laughed Aragorn. "You pair ought to find yourselves your _own_ girl to be with, not staring at some poor unfortunate creature..." He eyed the television as the woman pirouetted. "Though he is right... she is very pretty..."

"Excuse me Aragorn, but you happen to be married!" called Legolas from the bedroom. "You wait till I tell Arwen..."

"You wouldn't _dare_," hissed Aragorn, glaring at the Elf who was once more looking around the doorframe. Legolas grinned and a spark of bad-intentioned glee glinted in his eyes.

"Wouldn't I?"

Gimli shook his head. "Well, I reckon you're as bad as each other." He ran his fingers across the collar of his shirt. "This thing is horrible; where did you buy it!" he asked Aragorn.

"A shop down the road; sorry if it's not to your taste but it's the best we could do." replied the human, resting his feet on the coffee table in front of him. It had been difficult getting things for the Dwarf to wear; at least the Hobbits were small enough to wear children's clothing. Gimli was, height-wise, in between Hobbit size and human size; therefore, getting clothing was a task and a half. However, he and Elrohir had come through and found a white shirt and trousers for Gimli. Apparently it was the 'casual work' style, according to Elrohir.

"What about you Legolas? Happy with your clothes?" asked Gimli. He pulled at the collar of his shirt again. "Because I'm not happy with mine..." he added under his breath, causing Aragorn to laugh.

"Yes actually," replied Legolas. "Although I was a bit unsure about Ro's 'all-black' idea." The Elf was wearing a black trousers and a black tee-shirt with 'MANNIX' written across the front in red stylised lettering; Mannix being a rock band that Elrohir had confessed to liking quite a lot. He couldn't help but think that Elladan would have thing or two to say about his twin's choice of dressage for them all when he saw them later...

----

Kelsey MacIntire huffed with indignation as she entered Elladan's office. The Quadrant Leader had requested to see her concerning the strange group she'd reported earlier.

Elladan was sitting comfortably at the table, looking through some papers. He didn't notice her enter.

"You asked to see me sir?"

Elladan looked up. "Oh, you're here Kelsey. Please, take a seat." He motioned towards a chair that was approaching the table after coming from one of the sliding doors in the wall. Kelsey waited for the hovering chair to stop before taking her seat.

"Well then," said Elladan, leaning forward on the table. "I hear you reported that group I asked you to bring to me; do you mind if I ask what for?"

"Presenting a hazard to the Quadrant community, sir," she told him in a clipped tone. "You see sir, they were up top and-"

"Yes, I know," interrupted Elladan. He sighed. "I hope you don't mind Kelsey, but I'm going to strike off that report."

Kelsey was taken aback. "W-what! But... but why!"

Elladan tried to sort out a plausible answer in his head. "I'm afraid Kelsey that that is a very long story, and one I don't have time to tell you now, but rest assured I'll explain it all to you soon. Now, going back to why I asked you here..."

Kelsey rolled her eyes. 'Daniel is so mysterious...' she found herself suddenly thinking. 'He never explains anything to anyone. I wonder why?'

"I'd like you to look after the group." he said abruptly, immediately jolting her from her thoughts.

"WHAT!" she cried indignantly. "Me!"

Elladan nodded. "Yup."

Kelsey shook her head. "No – no way Daniel! I'm a _Gate Guard_! I need to be on duty; I can't be looking after a bunch of-!"

"Kelsey. Please, I'm asking you to do this." Elladan ran his fingers through his hair. "If I could do it, I would, but I've got to look after everyone here in this entire city. I'd get El-" He stopped himself quickly. "-_Ronald_, to do it, but likewise he's got the entire security system to worry about; I can't ask much more of him."

Kelsey remained silent, staring at him with an annoyed look on her face.

"Please Kelsey?"

She groaned. "Alright! I'll do it!" Elladan smiled. She folded her arms. "Just don't expect me to be all pal-ly with them; I'll be civil, but that's where it ends! They've pissed me off enough already today."

"I wouldn't ask you to," replied Elladan knowingly. Kelsey glanced at him suspiciously for a moment.

"Is that all? Looking after the newbies?"

Elladan nodded.

"Okay then. What do you want me to do with them?" she asked.

Elladan pulled a few red noted out of his pocket. "Here," he said, pushing them across the table to her. "Take them to a Rasouball match or something. My treat."

Kelsey sucked her teeth. "Rasouball?"

"The Vienna Vultures are playing..." said Elladan blatantly, hoping to win her over.

It was enough. Everyone in the security force knew that the Vienna Vultures were Kelsey's favourite team. Kelsey picked up the money slowly from the table.

"I've just gotta keep my eye on them?" she asked.

Elladan nodded.

"And I get to watch the Vienna Vultures?"

Once again, he nodded.

"Daniel..." Kelsey offered her hand in order to 'shake on it'. "I think you've got yourself a deal..."

**TBC...**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, although I did deliberate about posting it at this time. As some of you readers know, I'm a Londoner, and as _everyone_ reading probably knows, there have been terrorist attacks on my city recently. A lot of my feelings about this have, I've noticed, been reflected in this chapter. Personally I view writing as a kind of 'therapy'; in doing so I've been able to relieve a few of my own concerns about what's going on in this crazy mixed-up world; there are probably a few points in this chapter where you can pick up on that. **

**HOWEVER, I would like to note that this method of 'therapy' is _my_ way of dealing with things, not everyone's, so if _ANYONE_ at all was the slightest bit offended by this chapter, I'd like to apologise very much to you. Thank you.**


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